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Sea Elf
This page is dedicated to a Racial Subtype of Elves known as a Sea Elf, which changes some of the racial traits to better fit this type. Most of the information is a modified version of a Pathfinder page to better fit it into Oustomia while still giving some unique flavor. Sea Elves are distant relatives of surface elves. They share many traits in common including long lives, deep attachment to their surroundings, and arrogant attitudes. Unlike their land-bound counterparts, sea elves are by no means considered quiet or reserved. Sea elves are a boisterous lot, and take celebration, vengeance, and pride seriously. Sea Elves in Oustomia "The Land Dwellers of Oustomia always believed to be on top, for their towns lay nestled away on the lands of the surface world. Above sea level. But, for many years, they remained oblivious to the world that flourished on the flip-side; whole civilizations found deep within the depths of the Sea Mother’s embrace. Home is what we preferred to call it. A kingdom built high, formed by colonies of coral and various rock formations. The sea plants, too, had their part. It all gave a vibrant life to that which most outsiders believed to be dull beneath the waves. Our kingdom of Aquellion surpassed all. Her majesty stretched tall, reaching hundreds of feet high until almost able to kiss the surface. Some days she may even have peeked above the lower tides, submerging some hour later with new scars. Scars that the Land Dwellers dared to inflict. We never had a pleasant experience with those from above, often times attacked by a heavy weapon with a curved bottom and hooked ends. They dropped this upon homes, shops, and sometimes even crushing the lives of a few innocent. The Land Dwellers were our enemies, just as much as those that lurked in the Deep Dark." - Except from an old journal ________________________________ Sea elves were less commonly found than their land brethren, which was quite explanatory given their preferred lifestyle beneath the ocean's surface. For generations they remained mysterious to the world above and those that traversed the land, most believing the elves of the sea were a threat sent from the aquatic creatures of the deep. While some found that to be true, not all of the sea elves followed the command of those from the Deep Dark, a place of horrors deep beyond the sun's reach within the ocean. Many, in fact, followed their own ambitions, which sometimes led them ashore. The most influential and well known Sea Elf currently goes by the name of Sy'lenna Tidedancer, carrying with her the title of 'Admiral of Haven' after her dedication to the Third Orc War, though more commonly she is known as the 'Captain of the Cloaked Serpent,' her very own ship, and more recently the 'Marshal of Falador.' Rumor has it that she ventured away after the destruction of the Kingdom of Aquellion, though not much information details her reasoning. However, she's been a vital asset to various missions and continues to do so in the world. Physical Description Sea elves resemble their land cousins with their slender bodies and exceptional grace and beauty. They have lustrous skin, sometimes with patches of barnacles or scales, ranging from different hues of blues, violets, and greens. Their hair is typically green, silvery, pale blue or white, though a vibrant red or yellow is not uncommon. Eye color is usually dark, from deep blue or green to black, only giving a faint glow. Their ears are delicately pointed like those of land elves, though some have been known to have a slightly more webbed appearance. Sea elves have webbed fingers and toes and strong, lithe bodies adapted to swimming. They usually wear clothing woven from undersea plants, decorated with coral, shells, and pearls. Society Sea elves have a king or queen to whom they pay tribute, but has limited control over daily life. Sea elves live as they please, coming together under a leader only in times of undersea disaster or great woe for the world in general. The elven nobility of the sea are mostly responsible for adjudicating trade agreements, treaties, and tariffs. The sea elf population consists primarily of artists and craftsman who create some of the most breathtaking splendors of the sea. The most breathtaking of these splendors is the spectacular elven cities that are crafted from living coral. Sea elves revere both magic and nature and seldom hesitate to let one enhance the other. A departure from the philosophies of other elven kind, sea elves are not afraid to meddle or tinker with the natural order of things. More often than not, this leads to spectacular works of living art. Occasionally, this has also led to great and terrible abominations that cause more harm than good. Sea elves can be prideful and egotistical, and this can easily lead to folly if mixed with unchecked arcane might. Relations Sea elves often see it as their duty to look after the other races of the sea, feeling a sense of obligation to those creatures with the shortest lifespans. Other seafolk and sea elves tend to get along very well, and the two have even been known to become romantically intertwined. While children of this union are naturally impossible, sea elves often seek a magical remedy to this; which usually involves giving up their long lifespans to transform into a seafolk. Alignment and Religion Sea elves value freedom and emotional expression, but are generally pulled towards generosity and grace. Like their land cousins, sea elves tend to sway towards chaotic good. Their religious beliefs vary from kingdom to kingdom, though most revere deities of the sea. The most common and widely accepted is worship of the Sea Mother, believing certain occurrences, which appear natural, are actually ways of Her communicating with the sea elves. Adventurers Sea elves are natural explorers with a healthy wanderlust. Many go in search of answers to the many mysteries of the sea. Some are searching for lost lore pertaining to arcane magic or power. Sea elves tend to gravitate towards wizard and mariner classes, as this works well with their physical and mental characteristics. Racial Traits * Ability Score Racial Traits: Sea elves are quick in mind as well as body, but have fragile frames. They gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, and -2 Constitution. * Size: Sea elves are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size. * Type: Sea elves are humanoids with the elf and aquatic subtypes. * Base Speed: Sea Elves have a base speed of 30 feet on land. They also have a swim speed of 30 feet, can move in water without making Swim checks, and always treat Swim as a class skill. * Languages: Sea elves begin play speaking Common and Aquan. Sea elves with high Intelligence scores can choose any of the following: Boggard, Celestial, Draconic, Elven, Halbok, Nixish, Lok'tar, Salatari, and Sylvan. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages. * Elven Immunities: '''Sea elves are immune to magic sleep effects and gain a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects. Feat and Skill Racial Traits * '''Sea Navigator: Adept at navigating the seas, Sea Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Profession (Sailor) checks and it becomes a class skill. Magical Racial Traits * Elven Magic: Sea elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Spellcraft skill checks made to identify the properties of magic items. Offense Racial Traits * Weapon Familiarity: Sea elves are proficient with rapiers, short swords, tridents, and treat any weapon with the word "elven" in its name as a martial weapon. Senses Racial Traits * Low-Light Vision: Sea elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light. Other Racial Traits * Amphibious: While sea elves primarily live under the waves, they are able to live out of the water indefinitely (having the amphibious special ability.) Alternate Racial Traits The following alternate racial traits may be selected in place of one or more of the standard racial traits above. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options. * Adept Swimmer: While all elves are naturally lithe and agile, some also are naturally speedy and have a strong desire to rush into situations rather than worrying about looking ahead. Sea elves with this racial trait receive a +10 to their swim speed and a +2 racial bonus on initiative checks. This racial trait replaces Sea Navigator and Weapon Familiarity. * Arcane Focus: While uncommon, some elven families have such long traditions of producing wizards (and other arcane spellcasters) that they raise their children with the assumption each is destined to be a powerful magic-user, with little need for mundane concerns such as skill with weapons. Elves with this racial trait gain a +2 racial bonus on concentration checks made to cast arcane spells defensively. This racial trait replaces Weapon Familiarity. * Darkvision: Though uncommon, some groups of elves are born with darkvision, rather than low-light vision. In many cases this is taken as a sign of deepfolk (sea creatures of the deep) in the elf's ancestry, and can lead to persecution within the elf's home community. Elves with this racial trait gain darkvision with a range of 60 feet, but also gain sensitivity to light and are dazzled in areas of bright light or within the radius of a daylight spell. This racial trait replaces Low-Light Vision. * Disinterested Observer: Elves who frequently interact with shorter-lived species often come to rely on their ability to wait out such impatient races. These elves gain a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls and skill checks made as part of readied actions in combat. This racial trait replaces the Elven Magic and Weapon Familiarity traits. * Loremasters: Some elves are steeped in lore older than most civilizations. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), and Spellcraft checks. This racial trait replaces Elven Magic and Sea Navigator. * Overwhelming Magic: Some elves obsess over the fundamentals of magic, training for decades to add layers of potent spellwork before they ever begin practicing true spells. This builds a foundation that makes their magic increasingly difficult to resist. These elves gain Spell Focus as a bonus feat. This racial trait replaces Elven Magic and Weapon Familiarity. Category:Race